Naver AI CareCall Reduces Solitary Deaths by 44.2%

SEOUL, South Korea — An artificial intelligence phone service developed by Naver Cloud has been correlated with a 44.2 percent decrease in solitary deaths in localities where the program operates, according to a research report published Thursday by Naver Cloud and Yonsei University.

The report, titled "Naver CareCall Social Value Measurement," examined the impact of "CLOVA CareCall," an artificial intelligence system that conducts routine check-in calls to elderly residents.

The service, which uses generative AI to retain conversational context, is currently implemented at around 150 institutions across South Korea and serves an estimated 50,000 older adults.

Researchers from Yonsei University’s ESG and Business Ethics Research Center analyzed publicly available municipal data to compare regions utilizing the service with those that do not.

The study also reported a 9.2 percent decrease in emergency room visits in areas where the service is active.

General hospital visits in those areas increased by 1.5 percent.

Researchers attributed the increase to earlier detection of potential health issues during routine calls, which may have prompted users to seek medical attention before their conditions worsened.

Based on a survey of participating institutions, the research team estimated that the service generated approximately KRW 34 billion (US$22.7 million) in social value over the past year.

The report projected that extending the service to 20 percent of South Korea’s elderly population could result in preventive medical benefits valued at KRW 417.2 billion annually.

The study stated that the findings could support a shift in welfare administration from reactive responses to preventive measures.

Yonsei University professors Ho-young Lee and Young-seok Bang, the lead researchers, said the methodology may offer a framework for evaluating the social and economic impact of AI-based public services in future policy and budget decisions.